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Faculty Research Grants

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Faculty Research Grants

The Nelson A. Rockefeller Center supports a biannual competitive research grant program open to tenured and tenure-track Dartmouth College faculty for research on public policy issues relevant to the Rockefeller Center (e.g., healthcare, education, the environment, poverty, social policy, economic policy) as well as on other research topics in the social sciences.

  • "The grant went towards field work in Nepal for a project related to understanding women’s reproductive health lives." Sienna Craig, Associate Professor of Anthropology.

  • Professor of Education Donna Coch with the help of Kevin Griffee ’19 are working together on a study about how the brain processes rhymes.

  • Sociology Professors Kim Rogers and Emily Walton hosted the “Interacting Across Difference” Conference with support from the Rockefeller Center.

OVERVIEW

The Rockefeller Center Director, Rockefeller Center Associate Director, Rockefeller Center Executive Director, the Associate Dean for the Social Sciences, and the other members of the Rockefeller Center's Faculty Council review applications and select the most promising prospects for funding. The Faculty Council includes members from each Social Science department and applicants are encouraged to work with their department's Council member to ensure their proposal is well-written and meets the requirements outlined below.

Grant budgets typically range from $5,000 to $15,000. Rockefeller Center research funding is derived from various endowed funds. Grants may be designated as funded through specific endowments (e.g., Reiss Family Faculty Research Fund). In all cases, published research emanating from Center grants must acknowledge the financial support of the Rockefeller Center, including specific endowments when appropriate.

For all grants, the Project Director (PD) must be a tenured or tenure-track member of a department reporting to the Associate Dean for the Social Sciences. Faculty from other departments or programs in the Arts & Sciences must obtain prior approval from the Rockefeller Center Director before applying. Visiting faculty members are not eligible. Collaborators may be Dartmouth faculty or scholars from other institutions. If collaborators reside at other institutions, evidence of cost sharing in the research project should be presented. Faculty with an active grant may not receive a second grant unless existing funds will be spent prior to the award period of the second grant.

Applications are due on November 15, 2024, for the AY24-25 fall funding cycle, and on May 15, 2025, for the AY24-25 spring funding cycle. Funds are available July 1 -June 30 for spring awards and January 1 - December 31 for fall awards, unless another time frame is specifically requested.

THE APPLICATION SHOULD INCLUDE:

  • The completed application, including:
    • Cover Sheet
    • Abstract of no more than 250 words
    • Budget Sheet
  • Proposal not to exceed 6 pages, single-spaced (approx. 3,000 words).
  • Curriculum vitae or biographical information on project director, collaborators, consultants, and presenters.

Research involving human subjects must be reviewed by the college's Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS). CPHS guidelines are available at their website: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~cphs. You may also contact them through email at cphs@dartmouth.edu or call 646-6482

 

THE PROPOSAL (UP TO 3,000 WORDS) SHOULD BE WRITTEN FOR AN INTERDISCIPLINARY AUDIENCE AND SHOULD INCLUDE:

  • Clear statement of the research question
  • Concise review of relevant literature
  • Clear articulation of methods to be employed
  • Implications of research
  • Timeline for completion

BUDGET GUIDELINES

Funding is available for direct research costs associated with the project, including (but not limited to) purchasing or collecting data, consultant fees, travel, research assistants, supplies, services, books, photocopying, etc.

  • Compensation: Funding is not available for compensation to project directors or co-directors. Funding for undergraduate research assistants should be requested from the office of Undergraduate Advising and Research (UGAR). Use of undergraduate research assistants should be noted in the proposal, but funding for undergraduate research assistants should only be requested from the Rockefeller Center if not available from UGAR.
  • Indirect Costs: Are not provided.
  • Travel: Funding for conference travel is not permitted on research grants. Research travel is reimbursed in accordance with college policies. Original receipts for all expenses are expected for processing and files.

Equipment: Purchase is limited to $250 and generally supports items such as an audio recorder or a data storage unit. Funding for items such as computers, tablets, cameras, or smartphones etc. is not allowed.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION

Applications are due on November 15, 2024, for the AY24-25 fall funding cycle.

Applications are due on May 15, 2025, for the AY24-25 spring funding cycle

Funds are available July 1 - June 30 for spring awards and January 1 - December 31 for fall awards, unless another time frame is specifically requested.

Upload application form, proposal, CVs/biographical information, and any other relevant documents here: https://form.jotform.com/230385059476059  

Evaluation Criteria

  • Quality of the proposal
  • Likelihood of a project leading to publication or product
  • Importance of Center funding to the completion of the project
  • Evidence that the applicant is seeking funding outside of Dartmouth
  • Benefit to the Dartmouth community, particularly to student engagement in the research enterprise
  • We particularly welcome submissions from junior faculty and first-time applicants
  • We welcome applications for seed funding and early stage work on larger projects

For more information about grant administration, funding administration, and logistics, please contact:

- Ann Fenton, Center Administrator, Ann.N.Fenton@dartmouth.edu and

- Fielding Essensa, Financial Manager, Fielding.P.Essensa@dartmouth.edu 

For more information about academic and research matters related to grants, substantive criteria, and review, please contact:

- Professor Herschel Nachlis, Associate Director and Senior Policy Fellow of the Rockefeller Center, Herschel.S.Nachlis@dartmouth.edu.